The Gentle Art of Forgiveness and Friendship
by Knight of Tabitha
Summary: At her brother's grave Tabitha let's out her grief and makes a surprising friend with whom she bonds over a mutual acquaintance. A one shot and slight character study.


It was a cold winter's day Tabitha made coming to Gotham cemetery her secret she wasn't the type to ever let her feelings show "I-" She stopped out fear Theo often scolded her for showing what he called weakness "I brought roses brother. I know you probably are turning over in your grave right now but I wanted to do something nice."

Tabitha gently place the bouquet of roses in front of her brother's head stone "Why couldn't we be part of a different family Theo?" She asked. All her life she'd been raised to be a killer it was never what she wanted of course no sane person grows up wanting to be a killer "I know, I know you probably looking down or well let's face it's more likely your looking up at me from hell and are disgusted with me but I need to say something to you…" She struggled to speak the words she so desparately wanted "I want to say Theo that you stabbed me but I don't hate you the truth is I hate myself."

It took everything Tabitha had to not cry she was glad no one was around they'd probably laugh at her the heartless Tabitha Galavan crying over a grave that's what they would say and they'd probably say it in a way that made it seem like a joke. Yeah, she knew the idea of her having feelings was a laughable concept to the people in Gotham. It didn't mean she didn't have feelings though. Her family conditioned her to hide her feelings they drilled into her the idea that she was born only to help Theo fulfill his destiny.

"Wasn't it enough already?" She blurted out. "You didn't' have to kill the Wayne kid. Wasn't…" she fell to her knees unable to fight her tears "Wasn't I enough for you why couldn't we just be happy? Why couldn't you, me, and our niece just be a family? Couldn't you have been happy with that? I never wanted this I never wanted any of this I just-" She hugged the tombstone tightly "I wanted you. I always wanted you Brother. I know that makes me sick and a freak but I love you Theo I always loved you!"

She pulled away looking at the picture embedded in the tombstone she picked it herself it was very flattering and really added some charm to her brother's final resting place "You loved me to, right? I mean you were mean at times but only because you were angry. I know you wouldn't really have hurt Silver if you weren't angry. Mom was the same she loved us but we always made her angry and I know I wasn't the best daughter I know I failed as a sister I just I couldn't understand the devotion you and Mom had to the Dumas legacy." That was always a sore subject for Tabitha her mother it was another side of her to the side that always made excuses for Theo and their mom. Even now she'd never say out loud the truth about them because she loved them too much to speak the truth.

Tabitha and Theo had the same mother but both had different fathers. Tabitha always felt like her mother never cared for her but she'd never admit it not even to herself. Tabitha never showed it but she wasn't a heartless person "I am so sorry for what I did, I didn't think James Gordon would kill you I just thought-" Tabitha's tears all started to flow like water from a collapsing dam "I thought in the beginning if I helped you get what you wanted you would go back to being the brother I loved the brother who protected me from mom, the brother who disappeared when the monks came. Then when I visited you in jail I realized I could only have my brother back if I showed you that you didn't need to fulfill that insane destiny Mom and those monks talked about! So I did something else…" She hesitated to finish "I am the reason James Gordon and Oswald got into the building I shut off the security system while you were talking to Bruce Wayne. I sent the guards in the building home early while you and those crazy monks were getting everything ready. I did this because I knew it was wrong and sick to murder the Wayne kid and I knew it wouldn't make you happy I betrayed you but I didn't want you dead!" Her crying became uncontrollable "I wanted to stop you. I wanted my brother back. I just… I just wanted my family back. I never wanted to be this person that kills. You never wanted to be Azrael either we had these lives forced on us. So why, why is it I gave you everything, why is it that I gave you everything only to get nothing from you? Why couldn't we start over Theo? Why does everything I love get taken from me?"

"Is everything okay?" A voice asked from out of nowhere.

Tabitha quickly stood up brushing the snow off and wiping the tears from her face quickly trying to regain her composure she turned around and saw the last person she ever expected to see in a graveyard "Bruce Wayne? What are you doing here?"

"My parents are buried over there." He pointed to a nearby pair of head stones.

"What did you hear?" She stepped forward clearly defensive but despite her best efforts to hide it she was also visibly afraid she'd been caught in a rare state.

"Does it matter?" Bruce shook his head confused "There is no shame in openly grieving."

Tabitha smirked finding him naïve "I was raised to not show my emotions, and to give up everything for my brother. I guess you heard me just now? About betraying him." Her mother would always beat her if she let her real feelings show same with Theo it was basic parenting in the Dumas family.

"Yes."

She bit her teeth angry "I bet it gave you a laugh seeing me, hearing me poor out my soul. Finding out I have a soul. Does it amuse you knowing I'm not a monster? That I'm not-"

"I don't think you're a monster." Bruce said cutting her off "I stopped believing in monsters when I met Matches Malone. If I'm to be honest I don't really hate your brother or even Silver. As twisted as Theo's reasons were he wasn't entirely wrong to hate my family so if you want to continue in his footsteps and seek revenge against me, if you want to raise the next generation of Gallavan's to go after my descendants go ahead I won't stop you but if you do know I will defend myself."

"Your quite a dark little knight aren't you? Why are we even having this conversation? We're not friends-"

"I know but my family destroyed yours so I figure maybe we owe it to the dead to make peace while we still can. Also I know that Selina has been hanging out with you and-"

"And what?" Tabitha was starting to get annoyed.

"You remind me of her, Tabitha. You had this look you still do I first saw it when I had dinner with Silver. I could tell behind your smile you hated me for some reason like you blamed me for something. Now I know you blame my family for Theo being who he was."

Tabitha's hand tightened into a fist "I do blame you and your family for being the root of Theo's madness." Tabitha then paused her anger passed showing a rare look of sadness she let go of her fist "I should have been a real sister to Theo and a real aunt to Silver. A real sister would have tried to stop him or talk him out of it and a real aunt would have looked after Silver, a real aunt would have stepped when no one else could. I just, I'm just a coward who is too afraid to show her true feelings. Barbara and Butch I can't even say that what I have with them is real."

"Do you care about them?"

"Yes, but I don't know if they really care about me. Butch said he loved me once but people say anything in desperate situations. I didn't know if he was being honest but even so I…" Tabitha looked at her hand "Do you ever wish you could be someone else?"

"Everyday." Bruce answered with a smirk looking up at the hill where his parents were buried "It's funny that's something I can imagine Detective Gordon asking. Though he'd probably ask someone if they wish they could be who they were before."

Tabitha nodded "That does sound like something he'd say Barbara makes him sound like he has a lot of regrets. I know what that is like."

"He does then again he puts a lot on his shoulders. He puts others and the needs of others before himself. I think maybe you know a bit of what that's like you seem to know what it means to put others before yourself. I know they say you're a bad person but seeing you here makes me think there are no bad people just the lost."

"A police officer." Tabitha said out of the blue.

"What?" Bruce didn't understand.

"I use to want to be a police officer but I never was allowed to pursue my dream. I was forced to give that up for Theo. I use to be the kind of person who wanted to make a difference before Theo came back from his time with the Order of Saint Dumas I was applying to be in the Gotham Police Academy. I was so idealistic back then who knows in another life I could have still known Barbara maybe I'd be friends with Jim to."

Bruce raised an eyebrow "I never thought you'd have an interest in law enforcement."

"Why do you think I'm so good with fire arms? In my spare time, I would practice and…" She stopped careful not to let her guard down any more than she already had.

"I understand." Bruce said she reminded him of Selina, he knew that when Tabitha was young she was probably just as hurt and alone as Selina so he knew he was making the right choice by asking this of Tabitha "None of us are who we use to be. No matter how badly we want to, we can never be who we were before. Would it be okay if I made a request?"

She chuckled amused "Bruce Wayne making a request of a Dumas. What is the world coming to? Okay I'm listening."

"If you and I agreed to forget the past if we promised to make peace between our families. You being one of the last few Dumas, and me being the last Wayne. If we agreed to forgive the sins of the past Tabitha, I guess what I'm saying is I know Selina doesn't want to see me but I still care about her and I think you care about her to. So, if you and I promised to put the past behind us and you promised to be a good friend to Selina then Tabitha Gallavan I will be your friend."

"So, you just want a clean slate between us and our families and all you want in return is for me to be good to Selina?" Tabitha was in disbelief did Selina really mean that much to Bruce? That he'd forgive an enemy just to make sure she was alright.

"I know what Alfred said to you before you two fought how it made you angry. You were angry I think because he made you face the truth about the person your brother was. I don't want to sound presumptuous but I think you are looking for someone who can care about you. So, I will be that person. Help me keep Selina from becoming like Theo from becoming a monster because I think if you could have saved Theo you would have." He held out his hand "I promise to be someone who will always care what happens to you. If you and or Selina ever need anything-"

Tabitha surprised Bruce by taking his hand while interrupting him "and if you ever need someone to talk to about Selina-"

Bruce then interrupted her "and if you ever need someone to just talk to-"

The two then said together "I will be your friend."

The two made this promise in secret Tabitha would become a good influence for Selina becoming the kind of role model Selina always needed and Bruce became the friend Tabitha always needed. As Tabitha's friend Bruce was the one that would save her when Penguin would finally take his revenge and use his money to convince the world she was dead so she could start over this secret friendship would not be revealed for years to come.

After starting over with a new life Tabitha would marry and have a son, named Tim Drake.


End file.
